All That Could've Been
by Kirei Ryuusei
Summary: As Fudo-hakase flees with his son in hand, he comptemplates the life he could've given to Yusei if it weren't for his creation.


**Blood trickled from my wounds. Red staining my white lab coat. Red lights flashed on the walls. Sirens wailed in my ears. Ruefully, I glance back at the direction my wife, Kaya, stopping to hold off the guards chasing us. The small bundle in my arms crying. I hold it closer to my body, saddened I haven't got the time to hush its sobs.**

**Yusei…**

**My only son. Named after the Yusei Ryuushi, a gear that connects with all others. Just like what I wished for him to grow up to do. Growing up, something I wish I could see.**

**Running down the halls, I thought of all that could be…**

**Of myself, Kaya, and Yusei together on Tops, teaching him how to walk. Setting him up on his feet before walking a short distance across red carpeted floor Kaya picked out. Kneeling down, and coaxing the near clone of myself over. I imagined him wobbling even tumbling onto the ground, frustrated at being out of reach of his parent. Yusei then pushes himself up and totters over to my outstretched arms.**

**My breath becomes shallow from the running, I silently curse my job's lack of physical work. Yet I refuse to stop, because the visions of the impossible future.**

**I thought of trying to get Yusei to say his first words. Kaya and I encouraging him to speak. At the same time I wish for his first word to be 'papa' while Kaya hoping it is 'mama'. How funny would've been that neither were own son's first words. Maybe it would've been a random word such as 'bowl' or 'no'.**

**Even in my hopeless situation I manage to chuckle at the thought. I glance down at blanket-baby. His face was flushed from his ceaseless screaming. "Shh, shh…Yusei, it'll be alright…It'll be alright."**

**Those words sounds like what I'd tell him when I'd take him to the doctor for the first time and he'll actually remember the visit. His flesh and blood whimpering and ducking behind my pants leg at the sight of the pediatrician. The younger Fudo muttering excuses to leave the clinic, when he needs a shot. Fudo-hakase holding onto his sobbing child's hand as vaccine is injected.**

**The baby quieted to whimpering as I raced for the escape pod. A yell alerted me the guards had found my trail again. My pace hastened to keep those men away from my child, away from my dreams for him.**

**Years went by in my head. Yusei, I figured, had grown to look more and more like myself. A teenager, the time I was told to fear, was now his son. Terror-stricken I believed would've been my expression at the mention of Yusei wanting to drive. Two paths opened. One was him driving just fine and I giving my praise. The other was a disaster of him driving, and myself praying that I'd survive the lessons. Sincerely, I prayed for the former.**

**I dashed into a room, breaking the keypad to access it. Blood loss was catching up with me as I tumbled back against the door for a moment as my delusions continued.**

**More years wandered by as I envisioned myself taking a picture with my family. Our son garbed in a cap and gown, a diploma in his grasp. Him graduating from high school, moving on to college. He was grown up now and my job as a parent was practically complete. The thought depressed and brightened my mood at the same time. I wished for him to have grown up properly, just as I hoped now.**

**I walked over to the escape pod. So this was it? This was the last time I could see my son? I knelt beside the pod, where I laid my child Tears escaped my eyes. Why did it have to be like this? Why couldn't it be like how I dreamed? "Yusei…Yusei…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…that all the things I hoped for you are gone…"**

**A warm hand caressed my face. I looked to stare at amazingly blue eyes, deeper than my own. Those eyes, I thought, could see my pain and hurt within my soul and understood it. The expression he gave seemed to tell my soul that he would grow up properly. I sat up and began type in the code for the escape pod.**

**Glass shielded Yusei from the falling debris. He began to sob again as he felt the separation from myself. Tears stung my eyes again. I uttered a final good-bye to him, though I was aware he couldn't understand me. With that the escape pod disappeared from sight.**

**The door burst open with angered guards so intent of searching for me. Panic arose when light began to flood the vicinity. I was ready. Waiting.**

**Yet, I couldn't help the twinge of guilt and regret that burdened my heart as the light devoured my being.**

_**Yusei…I'm sorry…Kaya and I…could never give you all that could've been…**_

_**~~~~~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~AllHailEccentricness~~~~~**_

_Yeah.. This was an idea that struck me…because I wondered how Dr. Fudo felt leaving his own son…so I wrote this._


End file.
